This invention relates to vehicle seat structures and more particularly to an improved manually operated onepiece plastic seat back adjuster override actuation button with retainer.
The U.S. Pat. No. 4,722,521 issued Feb. 2, 1988 to Michael J. Sweers and assigned to the assignee of the present application, discloses a Button Retainer For Vehicle Seat Recliner which enabled a plastic actuation button to be retained without the use of a metal clip. As seen in prior art FIG. 2 the Sweers '521 patent discloses an actuator override button 30' comprising an elongated head portion 40' and an integral stem portion 42'. The button head portion includes an inclined long ramp portion 44' having a pair of wedge-shaped sides 46 interconnected by a steep sloped short ramp 48. The wedge shaped sides 46' have their free edges formed with a plurality of paired spacers 50 adapted to slidably ride on an outer surface of a shield panel to reduce frictional contact therewith.
The actuator button stem portion 42' has a boxshaped hollow rectangular-sectioned configuration with its free distal end open and its proximate or base end integral with the underside of the long ramp portion 44'. The stem portion 42 is defined by a pair of parallel side walls 54' and a pair of parallel end walls 56'. Each of the side walls 54 has an edge positioning slot 57' has a predetermined depth defined by bight-edge 58'. A frame member 60', dimensioned for slidable reception on the stem 42', has the interior surface of its side elements 62' formed with raised lugs 70' adapted to be slidably received in the edge positioning slots 58'. Arcuate shaped runners 74' are formed on the side elements 62' facing the fixed end of the stem portion. The slots position the frame member arcuate-shaped runners in juxtaposed relation to the panel's interior surface providing smooth reciprocal travel of the button along the panel opening. The button stem is inserted through a slot in the seat side shield and the plastic retainer collar fitted over the stem free end. The button stem and collar are next clamped into their assembly position and as a final step the collar is heat staked or sonic welded to the button stem.